


Intervention

by WordsandChocolate



Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: Fanfiction, Out article
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2018-02-21 19:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2479232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsandChocolate/pseuds/WordsandChocolate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>RDJ and Mark Ruffalo take Benedict Cumberbatch to task on his comments in the Out magazine article.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Intervention

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BrunetteBookworm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrunetteBookworm/gifts).



> Okay, so my friend brunettebookworm is a big Ben fan, and was upset by the recent comments he made about fans and fanfic in the now infamous Out magazine article. This fic is my attempt to make it right (well fictionally), and I thought RDJ and Mark were the ones to educate him on the fandom.

Ben let himself into his hotel room, dumping his messenger bag on the floor. His interviews  and press junkets for The Imitation Game were done for the day, and he was looking forward to dinner. Hmm, maybe he’d ring Robert. He did say that if he was ever in town to give him a call. Decision made, he pulled his mobile out of his pocket and dialled.

“It’s Bob, talk to me.”

“Hi it’s Benedict. I’m in California and you said if I was ever in town...”

“Oh great! Ben, you’re coming over for dinner with me and the wife. I’ll send someone to pick you up. Seven okay?”

“That sounds great. Want me to bring anything?”

“Just your charming personality. I’ll invite Mark Ruffalo over too, you’ll like him. Look, my house is better than those hotel rooms, whatcha say you bring a change of clothes and bunk over? Plenty of guestrooms.”

Even over a phone, Robert’s charisma was impossible to resist.

“If it’s no trouble...”

“None. See you soon.”

After a shower and a shave, Ben padded over to the wardrobe, which should hold his latest lot of dry cleaning. He dressed in a black button down shirt and jeans, quickly packing an overnight bag. The call from the front desk came through as he finished lacing up his shoes. Slipping outside to the waiting car, Ben had plenty of time to relax as his ride sped towards Robert’s mansion at Malibu.

Dinner was wonderful, a home cooked meal that tasted better than anything Ben had ordered from room service. Susan was a great foil to Robert and their small son was adorable. Mark was a nice guy too, very comfortable in Robert’s company- Ben guessed that they had been friends for a while. After dinner, Susan rose, smoothing an absent-minded hand over her swelling stomach.

“I’m putting the little one to bed and getting an early night, wonderful to meet you Ben, we should do this again.” She gave Robert a kiss on the way past and added warningly, “Remember Bob- you’re getting up to him in the morning.”

Robert grinned. “Yes dear.”

The guys retired to the lounge room while Robert made them tea and coffee. Talk soon turned to movies, then to interviews. Ben praised Robert on his latest Vanity Fair article.

“Your latest one was in Out magazine, right?” Mark commented.

“Yeah.”

“About that...” Mark hesitated, looking uncomfortable.

Ben looked curious.

“What? You didn’t like it? I wouldn’t think you would have read it, it’s not a Vanity Fair.”

Robert broke in. “Look Ben, I like you. I do. And I have done some stupid shit in my time, you know this. We all make mistakes. And the guy who interviewed you screwed you over. I mean, ‘lustful cock monster’- what the hell was that all about? But you screwed up. Do you know that you screwed up?”

Ben felt defensive. “I was a bit irritable yeah, but I hardly think it was a cock-up.”

Mark sighed. “Ben, do you go on the internet at all? They’re fuming about this all over Twitter and Tumblr.”

“I don’t do the social media stuff. You guys do?”

Robert grinned. “I have a secret tumblr. And a not secret facebook.”

“I have a...not secret tumblr” Mark said, giving Robert an amused glance. “And a twitter. It’s a great way to engage with our audience Ben. Everyone is so smart and passionate about things, it’s really inspiring.”

“What did I screw up about?” Ben sighed. “Are the fans pissed that I spoke bluntly about things? I’m not always going to love being stalked.”

“Fans know you need a private life Ben, that’s not the issue” Mark said gently, still looking uncomfortable, but determined.

“Well what is the issue? Don’t fuck around, just tell me.”

“Okay, first of all man, what is your issue with the fanfic?” Robert said.

Ben grimaced. “It’s intrusive, and crass. I don’t want people telling me about Martin and I fucking in space.”

“Have you actually read a fanfic?” Mark asked.

“Just what the reporters bring up, or make me read.” Ben shuddered. “That time with Caitlin Moran was just...immensely mortifying.”

“Ok, so if it’s the journalists making you read stuff and bringing it up- why aren’t you pissed at them? I imagine it would be just as mortifying to have your private fics read out loud without your permission, and then have them mocked.”

Ben looked over at Mark, who seemed completely serious.

“But, what about the fact that they write them in the first place?”

“I don’t see how that’s a problem” Robert shrugged, taking a swig of his coffee. “Look we both know that all of our Sherlock adaptations are fanfic, right? I don’t see what’s wrong with other people writing them too.”

“Some of them are actually very good” Mark mused. “I read a great science bros one the other day...”

“Oh yeah? Send me a link.”

Ben looked at them, confused. “What, you read them? What’s science bros?”

Mark grinned. “It’s fantastic, you see it’s a term the fans came up with to describe Bruce and Tony’s relationship in Avengers, and there are all kinds of fics about it. It’s like open-source creativity!”

“And when he says our relationship, he means in all senses of the word” Robert said, smirking.

“And you’re not bothered that there’s pictures and stories of you guys fucking?” Ben said, in disbelief.

“Not at all. I love reblogging it” Robert waggled his eyebrows. “I think it’s hot.”

“It’s not like they’re sending it to us” Mark explained. “We go looking. The fanfic and pictures are for the fans, not for us. We don’t own our characters. They explore dimensions that aren’t addressed in the movies, and who are we to condemn that? Can’t you see how you insulted them by putting down the things they create?”

“But look, when they write about Watson and I fucking, I think it’s about burgeoning sexuality in adolescence, because you don’t necessarily know how to operate that. And I think it’s a way of neutralizing the threat, so this person is sort of removed from them as somebody who could break their heart.”

Mark looked a little irritated. “Ben, who do you think are writing these fics? Sure, there are adolescent girls, but there are also grown women, grown men and queer people. And you don’t get to tell girls how they feel and why they do things, we don’t own girls sexuality, for god’s sake. Fans I’ve talked to say they write for many reasons. Sometimes it’s to explore a scenario that they never get to see on the TV. Queer people are woefully under-represented in our media, so the fans write what they don’t get to see. I would think you of all people would respect that.”

“You seem awfully hung up on Sherlock fucking” Robert said casually. “Do you realise that you keep referring to him as yourself? I mean, I am Tony Stark, but you’re not Sherlock. And having been Sherlock, I don’t see why you find it intrusive for him to fuck Watson. What’s the big deal? If you don’t like it, don’t read it. But if you’re determined to go around judging fanfic, you should at least read some good ones. There’s some fantastic writers out there.”

“Yeah, and talk to Orlando Jones” Mark added. “He’s in that show, Sleepy Hollow? We’ve been chatting on tumblr, and he has a great take on the fandom. Reads all the fic.”

“I feel like this is an intervention or something” Ben said defensively.

Robert laughed. “Sure, why not? We’re just trying to stop you from digging yourself into a large hole.”

Mark smiled. “Look, I just know how they feel, I’ve been reading about it on tumblr all week. They’re all really hurt Ben, and angry. And sick of having the fandom constantly misrepresented in the media. When you have a group of artists that love your characters so much that they are inspired to create something new, you should be grateful. Or neutral, but not insulting and putting them down in the media.”

“And you know, not all the fics are about fucking” Robert added. “It’s always the R rated stuff they like to show on TV, but there are some great stories there without the sex.” He smirked. “But to be fair, I only reblog the explicit ones.”

Ben was starting to get that sinking feeling in his stomach. Maybe he had screwed up.

“But what am I supposed to do about it?” he said, reluctantly.

“Well if you wanted to apologise, I could publish it on my tumblr” Mark offered. “It would reach a lot of your fans that way.”

“Hmmm. I’m not sure if I want to.”

Robert jumped up and left the room, quickly coming back in with a laptop. Setting it down on the coffee table in front of Ben, he brought up a bunch of tabs. Ben leaned in to look.

“AO3?” Ben said, reading along the top.

Robert grinned. “Okay, so here are a bunch of well-written Sherlock fics. I think you should read them before you go to bed tonight. Get an appreciation of the fandom you’re judging.”

Mark moved over to the laptop, opening up Google.

“Oh and have him read that article written about his Out interview. And that quote from Orlando Jones about fanfic.”

The two men looked at Ben, and he felt the weight of their attention.

“We’re calling it a night, Ben” Robert said, smiling. “Do some reading, we’ll talk in the morning. Glad we had this chat.”

“Great to meet you Ben” Mark said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Good night.”

Three hours later, Ben had refilled his coffee mug, determined to stay awake to get to the end of Electric Pink Hand Grenade. He was riveted. Okay, so he will have some apologising to do in the morning. 


End file.
